Melbourne!

It's sunny, warm, and bustling here in Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia!  Melbourne's population is nearly as big as New Zealand's, so it's nice to be in a city that can compare a bit to NYC.

Rony, my big sister, picked us up from the airport and took us to her mom, Susie's where we're staying until we're sorted with jobs and a room.  We arrived to home-made pasta bolognaise, salad, and red wine, not to mention the most comfortable double bed ever (or maybe it just feels that way after camping for 10 days)!

Day 1 in Melbourne, we walked a LOT.  We took the tram to the city center and explored the main streets, the little laneways (tiny off-shoots from main roads), ate sushi at a place where the dishes are served on a conveyor belt (plates are priced based on the color of the edge!), bought running shoes to get our butts back in cardio shape, and took in the sites.  It's a beautiful city where fashion is a priority, you can eat any type of cuisine you desire, and university students run rampant!  Feeling the miles in our legs, we took the tram back "home," and then popped out again to buy some flowers for our host and explore the local area a bit.  When we got back home, Susie had picked up an organic rotisserie chicken, so we made a salad and had a healthy meal.

Day 2: We kicked off our day with a run in the nearby parkway followed by an ab workout.  Woohoo!  Afterwards, we had a nice long breakfast with Susie while working on our resumes for jobs.  Around noon, we headed to Victoria Market, which is the most amazing market you've ever seen!  In an old market building, you have a range of fish shops, butchers, cheese shops, produce, and everything you could possibly want!  We walked around while Susie did some shopping, and then Nolan and I snuck back in to get a Borek, a piping hot, long bread roll filled with spinach and cheese and spicy lamb for Nolan, all for $2.50!  Shortly after, we picked up a sushi hand roll each, also for $2.50.  After the food prices in NZ, it's refreshing to have cheap, international food again and sushi EVERYWHERE!  Full and happy, we walked to Federation Square, where the information center is, and picked up some maps.  Afterwards we headed to the National Gallery to view an eclectic collection of Australian art...for FREE!  Yay!

We've spent the rest of the day back at home searching for jobs and apartments.  We've just had a Campari spritzer with Susie and are reading our books/writing blogs in the garden out back before going to meet Rony for dinner on Brunswick St, a cool uni street full of cafes and restaurants.

More soon!

Saying Goodbye to New Zealand and the Quake

So, for anyone living under a rock for the last week, there was a big earthquake in Christchurch and we were very close. The 22nd of February was supposed to be our last day of climbing at Castle Hill, but it was raining so we had a lazy morning and leisurely breakfast, chatting with our Czech friend Yan. We packed up, said goodbye to Cragieburn and went to say goodbye to our Swedish friends Tobias and Janna. They had rented a sweet house in Castle Hill Village. We were sitting around their place, exchanging music and videos and having a nice conversation when I felt the house begin to shake. I said "I think were having an earthquake." The others stopped and looked at the glasses shaking on the counter. Then it became very noticeable and we bolted outside. The trees were whipping back and forth and the sensation was like being on a boat. After a few seconds the shaking stopped and we went back inside. A few seconds later, we were back on the lawn for a comparable aftershock. I was thinking how cool it was that we got to experience an earthquake without it being too bad...

When we left them and went to the hostel, we found out that the quake had caused chaos in town. The whole city center was destroyed and the aftershocks were still rolling through. We sat and watched the news as images of destruction poured in from the places in the city where we had walked through a week before. A couple of times we ran outside with a strong aftershock shaking the hostel. Our flight was due to take off the next day, but we weren't sure if flights would be taking off, if the place where we rented our car was still standing or what. As the evening went on the hostel filled up with people either coming from Christchurch or those who had been heading there. It was a heavy night and a restless sleep.

The next morning we waited around for news about the airport and rental car and eventually made our way into the city. It took a long time to get to the car rental place in town because so many of the roads were closed and the traffic lights were all down. All the roads had cracks and big mounds of liquefaction, which is when water and dirt combine underground and force the earth upwards. When this mixture seeps through the cracks, it looks like wet concrete. The car rental place was a mess inside - glass and objects shattered all over the floor - but it was still there. We left our keys and decided to hitch a ride to the airport. Dimity made a sign that said "AIRPORT" and within ten seconds a nice older man picked us up and drove us there. His name was Tim and he drove us there on many of the closed roads (haha - not sure he realized they were cordoned). He was cool.

The airport was maxed out with people trying to get out of town and everyone was stressed. The aftershocks were still going on, so every now and then a big shake would shock peoples' already frazzled nerves. After a short delya, we took off and made it to Melbourne, solid ground.  And for anyone who has the choice, I highly recommend Air New Zealand!

Today we read that the death toll is around 130 and still rising. A few days before the earthquake, we were considering going to Christchurch early to do some shopping and sight seeing, so we're very lucky to have missed it.  Aside from the death and devastation to such a beautiful city, it was amazing to see how everyone in this small country (as well as friendly neighbors) are pitching in their best efforts to help the people of Christchurch.

We absolutely loved New Zealand, in fact we wished we'd had more time to explore, and we hope that ChCh gets back on their feet soon!

Castle Hill - The Energy Center of the Universe (or one of them).

Today is our tenth day in the Castle Hill area...and I'm struggling to remember everything worth writing!  Here's my best effort:

1. Christchurch: We got a small taste of Castle Hill before having to head to Christchurch to sell our car (thank goodness we did then because as I'm writing, it's about 3 hours after the massive earthquake hit).  Day 1: In Christchurch, we printed and posted flyers in every hostel we could find.  Within hours, a Scottish couple - Ryan and Vary - called us up interested in Aquarius.  We chugged over to their hostel, where they took her for a test drive.  Aquarius was on her best behavior, so their interest extended to a morning trip to get her fully inspected.  Day 2: We took Aquarius to a AA inspection place where we discovered she had more problems than we'd imagined.  Ryan and Vary seemed hesitant, and Nolan and I left in silence worried that we weren't going to get another fish to bite the bait.  In angst, I texted them wondering what they'd learned about cost of fixing the van...they texted that they were still keen on buying but given the cost of fixing it could only afford to pay $2,500.  So in the end, we swapped the car for the price at which we bought it and leaving it in better hands!  Car sold, we spent the night eating pizza and sleeping in a BED before renting a car and heading back to Castle Hill the following day.  
2. Cragieburn Campground: Our base for Castle Hill climbing consists of a small stream flowing through beech forest, which accounts for the swarms of wasps around the campgrounds, a three-walled shelter with two tables for cooking, a tank that collects rain water, and a loo that qualifies as the worst and smelliest one we have seen in NZ.  Our first few days we shared the grounds with two Aussie couples that are in their mid to late fifties.  They camped out for three nights and cooked gourmet meals, including freshly caught trout by one of the gentlemen, which they kindly shared with us one night because it was too big to eat!  The rest of the week we shared the grounds with fellow climbers, including Italians, a Czech, Hungarian, Kiwis, and Germans and somehow managed to fill ourselves up with lots of pasta and couscous meals on our one-person pot and stove.  
3. The Swedes: On Day 3 of climbing, we met a lovely Swedish couple, Janna (pronounced Jenna) and Tobias.  We climbed with them for the rest of the week, working on problems, loving the extra spotters and the two crash pads.  They are traveling for about 5 months through NZ, India, Greece, and France before heading back home to reassess what they want to do with their lives.  They might as well have been our Swedish counterparts!  Since they were renting a house in Castle Hill Village (clearly the Swedish currency is on their side), we went over to dinner one night and made tacos with a mix of Swedish and America traditions.  The Swedes put chopped apples in their (delicious!) and we cooked some of our veggies when they just throw them in their raw.  With full bellies, we headed back to camp in the drizzle.  
4. Flock Hill: In the Castle Hill area, there are several boulder-covered hills in which to climb.  The "cream of Castle Hill" is supposedly Flock Hill.  To get here, you need a permission slip so that the "farmer won't shoot you," as quoted by the bartender at Flock Hill Lodge.  With slip safely secured, you walk up a very step hill that is dotted with thorn bushes.  Flock Hill is different for a few reasons: (a) it is less climbed, therefore the limestone hasn't been polished as it has on the problems in Castle Hill, (b) there is no guide book, so it's up to you to find something fun and try it taking away the distractions of trying to read the map and worry about grades, (c) there are no tourists roaming the fields, so it's beautiful quiet, (d) there are less bees and flies and more crickets and lizards, and (e) there are more holds and less jumping to a mantle or "meat and potato" problems as Nolan calls them.
5. Flat Tire: We seem to always be at the epicenter of Murphy's Law - if something can go wrong, it will..i.e. nonstop rain and washed out bridges in Costa Rica, a snowstorm that shuts down JFk, an earthquake that shuts down the Christchurch airport, or the odd flat tire causing by the air valve popping off at a very inappropriate time when everything in tiny Springfield is already shut.  If we haven't mentioned Springfield yet, it's the town closest to Castle Hill.  It consists of a three cafes, two hotels (one is our beloved Smylie's), and a gas station.  We were forced to change the tire, drive over Porter's Pass on our spare to the campground, and back again in the morning to get the tire fixed.  Eesh!
6. The Vortex: The day of the full moon, I took a rest day and did work in town while Nolan went climbing.  On his way in, he met a fellow with a "Gentle Bear Healing" sticker on his van, a fedora with giant feather on hat, walking stick covered in gem stones in hand, and tattoos all over his body.  He mentioned to Nolan that tonight was a full moon and the moon was lining up with Uranus.  Because of this, a vortex would open in Castle Hill, it being an energy center, and a new dimension would open.  In celebration (or something like it), there would be a Shaman and many others in Castle Hill reigning in this new..."era?"  At 9:30pm, we set out to see and experience this unusual gathering.  On the way up Porter's Pass (the steep mountain road), our gas gauge sank down to empty, and given our luck with flat tires and all, we decided to turn around and experience the new dimension from the comfort of our once-a-week bed.  Days later, we came across a circle of stones that must have been the remnants of the full moon festival.
7. Supernatural! On my rest day (Dimity speaking), Nolan came home saying he'd flashed a V5 and he thought I could do it too because it was technical.  The following day, feeling well rested, I went to try it and got it!!  My hardest problem yet!! Woohoo!
8. Peanut Butter: I'm not sure why I never realized this, but peanut butter seems to be exclusively an American thing.  The Swedes had never had it, and I gave a German girl her first taste ever.  By the look on her face, I think she felt reborn.
9. Friends: Being in one place for a long period of time leads you to meet lots of interesting people.  In addition to the Swedes, we met two Italians from Lake Garda (who had been parked right next to us at Hangdog, but we didn't realize it!) who taught me to play Briscola an Italian card game I used to play when I was little, a Czech guy, a fellow American, and a German man all of whom were excellent climbing buddies and sources of entertainment.

Now I'm off to do laundry and enjoy the luxury of a long, hot shower...

Ciao!

Dimity

See Castle Hill pictures here.

New Zealand Superlatives!

We know "superlative" means the very best, but it was just so darn hard to pick one in most cases!

Most succulent meal(s):

• Sam's 5-star picnic in Wellington - lamb-rack, mashed butternut squash, and rocket.
• The Cow pizza and soup for its cozy atmosphere!
• Farideh's everything!
• Campervan couscous (chicken, carrots, broccoli, onions, and more!)

Most spectacular view(s):

• Driving over Takaka Hill into Golden Bay
• Driving over Haast Pass through the mountains with views of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea
• Queenstown camping spot with a view of the lake and Remarkables mountains.

Best Place(s) to live:

• Golden Bay
• Wanaka

Best Weather:

• Golden Bay - sunny blue skies every day and true summer!

Best Crag:

• Pohara, on the shores of the Golden Bay; nice rock, beautiful views, secluded, and private!

Best Climb:

• D - 5.9 (18) scary route up Temples of Stone in Payne's Ford, Golden Bay
• N - 5.11c up steep, overhanging jugs with a dyno finish in Wanaka!

Best City:

• Taupo!  Probably because we got to pretend we were Farideh and Andrew's flatmates for a week!

Most raucous night out:

• Reunion with Yali and Gary in Auckland where we sampled 6 bottles of NZ wine over the course of the night. 
• Dancing away the night in Wellington - especially rebellious given our usual early bedtimes.

Most refreshing, tasty beer:

• Manuka beer from the Mussel Inn, Golden Bay
• Ginger lager from Sprig and Fern (I think) at the Roots bar in Takaka

Yummiest snack food:

• Salami
• Tim Tams - the most delicious chocolate biscuit you've ever had (in fact, I think their tagline is something similar!)

Campsites:

• Secluded: Queenstown lakeside
• Campground: Hangdog climber's campground
• Campervan site: Wanaka Aspiring Campervan Park

Friend we've met along the way:

• Joy - our Brooklynite climbing buddy!

Best new experience:

• Wine-tasting
• Seeing a glacier
• Driving on the left-hand side of the road (although not sure it was a pleasurable new experience)

Scariest moment:

• Getting stuck on the 4WD road to Whanganui Bay!

Cleanest, nicest bathroom:

• Every bathroom in NZ is nice, but Gary's nice hotel bathrooms take the cake!

Nicest Kiwi stranger:

• The doorman at the Hilton who brought us french-pressed coffee in the am.

Funniest Moment:

• Gary trying to cross a river with strong rapids, expensive camera in one hand, two bags of food in the other.  He made it half way to the other side when he realized the rapids were too strong.  Nolan rushed out to save his camera and within seconds Gary had been swept down the river fully clothed, food bags dunked under, and flip flops/sunglasses floating away.  

Best Kiwi Music to check out!

• Fat Freddy's Drop (anything!)
• Tiki Taane - "Always on My Mind"

South of the South Island

After driving through Haast Pass, the windy mountain road that connects the west coast to Wanaka, we were welcomed by a view of turquoise lakes (Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea) amidst green mountains, by far the most beautiful view we'd encountered yet.  Eager to get back on the rock and moving after three days of driving, we headed straight for Hospital Flats, a crag near lake Wanaka.  We hopped over a style and through fields of sheep to reach a quartz "tombstone" sticking straight up from the hill.  We set to work climbing the front face of the wall warming up for the following day.  After eating campervan food for three days, we sought out a cozy place to warm up and eat.  We stumbled upon the Cow, a restaurant that looked as if it came out of the colonial days equipped with a roaring fire, wooden beams, stone walls, and delicious pizza.  

The following day we woke up and climbed for the better part of the day before stopping for lunch.  As we ate our sandwiches - which by the way, have become pretty gourmet: cheese, salami, pickles, tomatoes, and avocado - a man gave us a flyer for Aspiring Campervan Park, a luxury holiday park with a sauna, hot tubs, wifi, lounge (w/ sky TV), kitchen, laundry, etc..  We decided 5 days without showering was quite enough and promptly checked into the site where we spent the rest of the day washing ourselves, our clothes, and catching up on internet work.  

Our friend Joy from Takaka had arrived in Wanaka a day after us, so we got up early the next day and hiked up Mt. Iron to see beautiful views of Lake Wanaka.  We've decided this is our favorite spot (although rivaling Golden Bay)...beautiful views, magnificent climbing, delicious food, and a low-key atmosphere.  

Next we headed to Queenstown driving through mountains and vineyards.  Central Otago is known for its wine, specifically the pinot noir, so we decided stopping at a vineyard was a must.  We passed by Gibbston Valley, the largest vineyard here, but we were put off by the number of tour buses.  Further down the main road, we veered off on a windy side road that hugged the cliff on one side and a ravine w/ roaring river below on the other. Slowly maneuvering our way up to Chard Farm we were greeted by a pink farmhouse with a Tuscan feel and a very nice gentleman with neon green glasses providing free tasting of their ten delicious wines.  We asked questions, chatted, and soaked in the flavors of Central Otago.  We left with one bottle of pinot (finished) and another of their juicy Sauvignon Blanc (not finished, only because we have no chilling device).  That evening we explored Queenstown and promptly decided it was too touristy and impersonal, so headed to a quiet lakeside hill where we had a sprawling view and lawn for a picnic.  By far, our best campsite yet!

In the morning, we scrapped climbing as it was 10am by the time we could tear ourselves away from the view, and drove straight to Castle Hill where we climbed for about 2 hours.  One of the brilliant things about being in NZ this time of year is that you have daylight until 10pm, which makes it VERY difficult to go to bed early (especially given our new habit of watching a movie in the van) and even more difficult to wake up early! Yep - that's how cozy Aquarius is!

Castle Hill is PHENOMENAL.  The Dalai Lama visited once and said it is one of the energy centers of the universe...you can truly feel this when you're there.  It's a multi-dimensional, disorienting, inexplicable environment where boulders and galactic-shaped rocks emerge from grassy meadows.  When you're on the hill, you hear a continuous chorus of sheep "baa-ing" and cows "moo-ing" amidst the strong gusts of wind.  It's seriously magical, not to mention a true playground.  There are so many problems to climb that it's impossible to wrap your head around it!  For me (Dimity), the climbing is extremely fun but challenging given the very high starts, propensity to end in slopers, and the need to be an expert at mantling.  

The next day we climbed all morning and were the first people in the reserve, thankfully, before the bus-loads of tourists came wandering through.  Nolan climbed a total of 35 problems (23 in the two hours that I was napping) and is feeling it today, but is so incredibly excited!

We're currently in Christchurch making a serious effort to unload Aquarius earlier rather than later.  Once we sell her (boooo!), we'll head back to Castle Hill with a rental car and spend the rest of our time here soaking up nature's energy and getting stronger. :)  

Send us good vibes for selling our car!!

See facebook for pics!! Click here.

The Wild, Wild West!

On Sunday after a challenging morning climbing session, we headed out on our drive down the west coast.  We'd been told that the west coast was New Zealand's wilder coast with dense jungle, unpredictable weather, and a stormy Tasman Sea.  As we headed down to Westport (pop 4,000 and the first big town on the coast), we drove down windy roads that paved a path through thick forests, and followed the Buller Gorge, a long river lined with cliffs and frothy with rapids.  As the day grew darker, a golden mist blanketed the mountains and lonely clouds hung just above the ground.  Finally, accompanied by a slight drizzle, we emerged in Westport where we found a sea-side cliff to park our car and sleep.  We cooked dinner and watched a movie in our van, falling in love with old Aquarius just a little bit more for having provided us with supreme accomodation.

We woke up to rain and Kiwi birds (national bird - without wings) wandering around our car hoping for a morsel of food.  After an internet stop in town (we'd been out of touch for a while!), we headed further down the coast with Greymouth as our next stop to check in with the Superbowl (who won, by the way?).  The coast line was stunning.  Steep cliffs and jungle served as a barrier to the tumtultuos waves.  We stopped breifly to check out the Pancake rocks and blowholes, stunning limestone rock that formed into what (doesn't really) looks like stacks of thin pancakes due to a weathering process.  Underneath the rocks are blowholes that create loud booms when the waves crash in and blow back out.

We finally made it to Greymouth and watched a bit of the game at a dodgy hotel sports bar where everyone silently watched on apart from the elderly couple quietly muttering about various plays in the corner.  Back on the road (this time Dimity behind the wheel!), we drove on to Franz Josef.  After a quick bite, we walked up a path to get our first view of the stunning glacier - a river of blue ice pouring out of green valleys.  Finally, we headed to a secluded spot to camp out...only it wasn't secluded.  Around 11pm, bulldozers and trucks with blaring, flashing lights zoomed into the river bank next to us to perform some kind of construction.  After sustaining the noise for half an hour, we got behind the wheel and headed to another spot in the midst of parked tour buses.

This morning we woke up to a view of snow-covered mountains reflected in a small pond!  We headed back to the glacier, this time walking all the way up to it (well, Nolan broke the rules and ran over the barrier to touch the ice as I stood by watching and reading a bulletin board adorned with an article about how two tourists were killed when trying to get a closer look...).  Now we're off to Wanaka and Queenstown for more climbing!!

Pics to come - working on a faster, better way to upload them!

Bugs.

Those of you who know about my fear/tendency to have encounters with bugs (bed bugs, mosquitoes, etc.) might be interested to know that I was stung by a bee or wasp (Not sure - all I felt was the bug squirm and puncture my skin while bzzzzing away), and as a result, have a welt-sized allergic reaction to it on my arm.  Not to mention my entire shoulder blade and upper arm went numb and tingly following the sting.

In the meantime, Nolan and I have found a new pre-bedtime activity - mosquito hunting.  We lay in bed with our headlamps pointed upwards and smash mosquitoes as we see them.  Last night, this became a 2am activity as the buzzing of flying objects woke us both up in the middle of the night.

Apart from this, we can't complain.  We cook gourmet camping food in our van and enjoy a full-sized bed safe from the rain.

So as we continue our stay in New Zealand's one and only real hippy town - where half the population wears dreds and roams barefoot - we will continue to wage our war on bugs and climb, climb away!

TAKAKAKAKAKAKA!!!!!!

We took the famous ferry ride through Marlborough Sounds from Wellington to Picton, about 3 hours of rolling swells that we half slept through. From there it was a two hour drive to Nelson where we stopped for a delicious lunch of coffee and lamb. Nelson is a beautiful outdoor sports kinda town. Dimity and I both decided we could live there. Quaint and cool with surfing, climbing and snowboarding all in close driving distance. It was great.

We stocked up on food and headed to Takaka to stay at Hangdog climbing campground. Hangdogs is a funky hippy camp site where all payments are on the honor system. Almost all the guys have dredlocks and everyone is a climber. Paynes Ford is limestone climbing and there is a freaking ton of it! We ordered guidebooks to the campsite that never came, but its all good because the other climbers are all very willing to climb with us. We woke up early and climbed from 7am till almost 1, then had a picnic with Gary and Yali. Gary tried to cross a fast moving river with three bags of groceries and a three thousand dollar camera. He made it about half way when he realized that he was loosing his footing. I ran out and managed to get his camera just as he slipped and floated off down river, food bags bobbing up and down in the water. In the end it was all good and we had lunch on the rocky beach followed by cliff jumping and deep water soloing.

That night we celebrated out survival by drinking home-brewed Manuka beer at the Mussel Inn and met a Kiwi named Brownie who offered to let us stay on his land, use his surfboards and wetsuits and help ourselves to free pot that he grows all for free. He was hilarious, but I think we’re gonna stay at Hangdogs instead. The next day we went climbing with our new friend Joy (a Brooklynite!) at a spot that is right on the sea. It was excellent sport climbing on beautiful stone with a view of the sea and mountains all in one. Now we are off to do some real hard stuff. Tomorrow there is a Mardi Gras celebration in this fantastic hippy town, Takaka.  More to come soon!

Windy Wellington!

Farewell Taupo - we'll miss you!

Our last day in Taupo, we went on an adventure to see if we could swim to these rock carvings that were made into the face of a cliff near Taupo.  We went equipped with wine and sandwiches, but before indulging, we jumped into the frigid lake and swam/rafted around the rocky points to get to the carvings.  To avoid spending too much time in the cold water, we took turns paddling in the raft and traversing the rock walls along the water.  As we turned the corner, we were bombarded with strong head winds and gave up on our quest, returning to our picnic of wine and steak sandwiches.

Maori rock carvings that we never actually saw...

On our last night with Farideh and Andrew, we made delicious pizzas and played Apples to Apples - an ode to American board games.

Yummy home-made pizzas!

Welcome to Windy Wellington:

The next day, we headed down to Wellington and made it there in about 5 hours.  When we arrived, we went to my friend Peter’s house, a kiwi that Emma and I had met while traveling in Thailand.  He and his girflriend, Sam, welcomed us into their home for the weekend.  We went straight out to a night on the town starting at a Turkish BYO, then onto a Welsh bar for live music (previously public toilets on the island of a busy road), and then onto a pool hall where their friends were DJing.  There, we danced until the early hours, denied a nightcap at a place called “Betty’s” (Nolan and I are were already way past our bed-time), and headed home for much-needed sleep.

Sunday Sites: 

The next day, we had a delicious breakfast of eggs, maple-syrup bacon, and arugula…delicious!  Then on to the farmer’s market packed full of food carts, local produce, and fresh fish.  After picking up some veggies for the van, we went on a walk up Mt. Victoria to see a beautiful view of the city.  Wellington is called “Windy Wellington” for a reason - it’s WINDY all the time!  Despite it being high summer, temperatures were fairly cold due to its prime location for windiness.  The gelato we had at the bottom of the mount was fulfilling in flavor but added to the sense that perhaps Wellington doesn’t really have a summer…

Sunday night, we enjoyed a 5-star picnic of Sam’s delicious lamb-rack, mashed butternut squash, and arugula with home-made pate, local cheeses, and NZ wine while watching Lisa Tomlins, an NZ singer at the Botanic Gardens Sound Shell.  A perfect way to reign in the last day of my 26th year!

My birthday!

Monday I woke up turning 27 a day before Emma.  I spent the day driving along the 4WD road that hugs the coast of the North Island - stunning cliffs and turqouise water everywhere!  Then Nolan and I went to meet up with Yali and Gary, also now in Wellington, for a yoga session in Gary’s hotel room.  From there, we lunched at Maranui on the water, indulging in NZ’s famous mussels, and then went to drink wine and talk business at Gary’s hotel.  From there we headed to an outdoor courtyard for tapas and wine, and then home to a birthday cake painted like the American flag and adorned with NZ’s 3 islands.

All in all, a wonderful way to spend my birthday…good food and good friends!

Now off to the magical South Island!!

Farmer's market - trying honey!

On the way up to Mt. Vic - balancing against the wind!

Swinging on Mt. Vic

View of Wellington

5-Star Picnic

Sound Shell at the Botanic Gardens

Stunning North Island coast line

Maori meeting house at Te Papa National Museum

Kiwi-US birthday cake!